Off-duty foreman testifies about BP explosion

NEW ORLEANS - A drilling foreman who had gone off-duty several hours earlier said he was called from his bed shortly before the Deepwater Horizon blew wild on April 20, 2010.

The rig erupted in flames, killing 11 men. Once the fire was out, the well spewed oil for nearly three months, blackening seashores in four states.

But Miles Randal "Randy" Ezell did not testify about any of that. He was the first prosecution witness to testify as BP rig supervisor Robert Kaluza went on trial Wednesday on a misdemeanor pollution charge.

Ezell said the well was being temporarily plugged so the drilling rig could leave it and a production crew could take over.He says two people had told him that a required test had gone well. But about 9:50 p.m., he said he was called and asked to help with a problem - drilling mud was blowing into the rig.

Ezell said he pulled on overalls, went across the hall to his office and an explosion blew him across his office and blew a bookshelf, equipment and walls onto him.